News for Napo members from the SEETEC KSS CRC and Unions meeting in Cardiff 9th April
Representatives from the Probation trade unions across the extended KSS CRC area met with the employer in Cardiff last Tuesday. A joint statement is being discussed with a view to it being issued shortly but here is a brief summary of what transpired.
This meeting was the first opportunity since the initial contact with the employer in mid February to meet face to face with senior management and it was made clear by the unions that further regular meetings need to be agreed going forward. There was a full agenda which featured a number of priorities such as pay, the plans to move Offender Management work in Wales to the NPS and the future collective bargaining structure, staff safety and wellbeing and workloads/operational plan. KSS CRC Management has agreed to reply to the unions on a list of agreed actions and further news for members will follow shortly when these have been received.
This meeting was the first opportunity since the initial contact with the employer in mid February to meet face to face with senior management and it was made clear by the unions that further regular meetings need to be agreed going forward. There was a full agenda which featured a number of priorities such as pay, the plans to move Offender Management work in Wales to the NPS and the future collective bargaining structure, staff safety and wellbeing and workloads/operational plan. KSS CRC Management has agreed to reply to the unions on a list of agreed actions and further news for members will follow shortly when these have been received.
On pay: the unions presented a joint union pay claim. Staff previously employed by the former Working Links CRCs have fallen behind on pay compared with those existing staff in KSS CRC. A situation that is further compounded by the second increment of a pay award in the original KSS CRC area. The unions have demanded pay harmonisation across the whole of the extended CRC as well as a substantive pay rise and shortened pay scales, and are asking that the employer consider working with us as part of the unions joint national campaign for the harmonisation of CRC pay rates with those of the National Probation Service. Seetec agreed to come back to us next week on this.
On workloads: The unions were told that KSS staff have an approximate 40:60 PSO/PO divide of caseload.But in the ex-Working Links CRCs caseloads are way above this and in some instances actually double this figure. Seetec agreed to our request to roll out a programme of stress risk assessments and urgently discuss further steps to relieve the problem which is now critical.
STAP is our benchmark!
In connection with the future structure for the trade unions to be able to bargain collectively on your behalf - we are keen to see a structure which maintains local links, which is the best way of being able to support our members and build a new relationship with the employer. We do not believe that the employer has the luxury of seeking to run a harmonisation programme across the extended CRC and the unions are standing by the National Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement (STAP).
Much of the rest of the discussion was taken up with detailed debate about how to resolve the terrible mess that has been left by Working Links in the South West and Wales. The unions have a number of ideas that we want to explore with the employer that we believe would make a major contribution to the SEETEC KSS CRC recovery plan, but we need to see a greater level of transparency and trust from the employer than that which has gone before. In short we want the employer to understand that the trade unions must have a role in discussions and decisions which impact on our members and that we are not prepared to be treated with disrespect as was the case under the appalling Working Links regime.
Much of the rest of the discussion was taken up with detailed debate about how to resolve the terrible mess that has been left by Working Links in the South West and Wales. The unions have a number of ideas that we want to explore with the employer that we believe would make a major contribution to the SEETEC KSS CRC recovery plan, but we need to see a greater level of transparency and trust from the employer than that which has gone before. In short we want the employer to understand that the trade unions must have a role in discussions and decisions which impact on our members and that we are not prepared to be treated with disrespect as was the case under the appalling Working Links regime.
Napo’s position on Wales
At a meeting with the First Minister for Wales Mark Drakeford, which took place immediately afterwards, Napo Cymru Vice-Chair Pen Gwilliam and General Secretary Ian Lawrence reiterated Napo’s policy to see all Probation work returned to public control in Wales and England, and explained how we are lobbying Ministers in Westminster to abandon their plans to leave Interventions and Programmes to the vagaries of a private market that has been shown to be a failure.
In a separate mailing next week, Napo members will hear how our campaign is making an impact on Government in that it is clear that all future options for Probation delivery are now under serious consideration. We will bring you more news on this and the above issues as soon as possible.
In a separate mailing next week, Napo members will hear how our campaign is making an impact on Government in that it is clear that all future options for Probation delivery are now under serious consideration. We will bring you more news on this and the above issues as soon as possible.
Ian Lawrence Napo General Secretary
Tania Bassett Link Official
Sarah Friday Link Official
Tania Bassett Link Official
Sarah Friday Link Official
Being a bit thick I need help understanding this:
ReplyDelete"On workloads: The unions were told that KSS staff have an approximate 40:60 PSO/PO divide of caseload."
So is the 40:60 split a percentage, i.e. 40% of caseload held by PSOs, 60% by POs?
"But in the ex-Working Links CRCs caseloads are way above this and in some instances actually double this figure."
Uh? 80% held by PSOs & 120% held by POs?
Seems no-one understands what was meant...
DeleteStaff abused in workloads is relentless in the DDC area controlled by seetec. The disparity is not clear from the above. I hear their is already growing unrest as seetec have ignored all the critical issues in the recent inspection and the staff are being stuffed.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thecanary.co/uk/2019/04/13/a-company-took-billions-from-privatisation-contracts-and-paid-millions-to-its-bosses-before-collapsing/
DeleteIn March 2019, outsourcing giant Interserve collapsed and went into administration. This came little more than a year after fellow outsourcing services provider Carillion crashed in 2018.
DeleteInterserve had an annual turnover of £3.2bn, around 70% of which came from government contracts. In the run-up to its collapse, the company received an eye-watering £660m in public sector contracts. This was despite warnings that the company’s financial situation was precarious.
Now the Financial Times has revealed the company was also funnelling millions into the pockets of its bosses in the year running up to its collapse.
According to the Financial Times, two senior executives at Interserve received massive bonuses in 2018/19. Totalling £1.99m, they added up to more than half of their annual salary.
Chief executive of the company, Debbie White, pocketed £1.26m, over £404,420 of which was in the form of a bonus. And Interserve’s finance director Mark Whiteling made £735,849. His bonus was £251,991.
Interserve described these payouts as “determined against rigorous criteria set by the remuneration committee”.
Despite the Conservative Party pushing hard to outsource and privatise more and more services, people are standing up. And they’re winning – bringing services back in-house and shaping policies.
DeleteSuccessful campaigns by students and workers at universities such as Goldsmiths College, London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies have seen outsourced services scrapped.
Now the Labour Party has committed to ending outsourcing of services working with ‘vulnerable’ people when they next form a government. This would see the end of privatisation of services such as healthcare, prisons, social care and probation.
So while the bosses of outsourcing companies might be enjoying their bonuses – for now – their days creaming off cash from our public services may be numbered.
looking to get in contact with 'jim' - any ideas how?
ReplyDeleteMy contact details are on the profile page.
DeleteNapo in Wales have worked tirelessly and to good effect. A bit of focussed attention on what is developing in Wales please. OM function to be brought into NPS, and Napo Cymru and Napo busy lobbying for the inclusion of Unpaid Work and Programmes into this deal. There is a dubious use of the term "core probation" coined by legislators and key players, as if the most easily understood and recognised Probation function (unpaid work) and the functions where clients spend the most time in contact with staff (unpaid work and programmes) are not core. The implications have wider resonance than the part of the UK you ignored in your title to today's blog, Jim.
ReplyDeleteHad I not been in somewhat of a rush at 6 this morning, the title might have been 'Napo at Work in Wales and the South West'. Sorry about that.
DeleteNapo Wales hardly. The movement to shift case management back has nothing much to do with unions and more to do with the fragility of the Wales asembluboutrage at that awful murder at the failing of works Ng links. There have been clear directives back from dame Glenys. It is all clear the unions are claiming credit but no impact.
ReplyDeleteA little less Union bashing and a bit more collectivity on the issue of reunifying probation would be helpful. Hand wringing and casting stones both self indulgent and obstructive.
DeleteWhat like claiming it's all Welsh led residence get over yourselves. What have you really done Wales show us the milestones. Nowt.
DeleteThe same union that agreed our terms and conditions when we were sifted into crcs. No judicial review.
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